Board of Selectman
Walpole Town Hall
att: Catherine Winston, Chair
A friend recently showed me a news item from Daily News Transcript written by Jeb Bobseine. The heading read "Selectmen call coffin display 'insensitive.'" Chairwoman of the Selectman, Cathie Winston said the display would 'only heighten the anxieties and fears of those residents with friends and family currently serving in the military.' As the mother of an army reservist who has served one year in Iraq and who will soon leave for another year long deployment in Afghanistan, I would like to disagree. I live with the knowledge of what my son's service in a combat zone as a medic and mental health worker means every minute of the day. I know what it is like to dread the knock on the door or the late night phone call. What is appalling to me is that the American people seem to want to forget this terrible war and the price we have all paid for it in life and treasure. When my son returned from a year in Iraq, he was depressed by the indifference of so many here at home to what was happening to our troops and the Iraqi people. Coffins and memorials to those who have died, a moment of attention paid to those who will never return to family and friends, are not ‘insensitive,’ they are reminders that we are ALL involved in this tragedy.
Every family I know who has lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan is disgusted by the executive order which does not allow a flag draped coffin to be shown on the news. I know a mother who was told to wait until after sundown to receive the body of her beloved son, because coffins of dead soldiers may not be off loaded from planes until it is dark!
I applaud Walpole for bringing a few hours of reality to your town common. If the people of Walpole find coffins distasteful, perhaps they should wake up and remember, there IS a war going on and we who shoulder it know what a coffin looks like.
Sarah Fuhro
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Statement by the Walpole Peace and Justice Group - July 7, 2008
As members of the Walpole Peace and Justice Group we were taken aback by the Walpole Board of Selectmen’s public reprimand regarding the “Tribute to U.S. Military Killed in Iraq." We were surprised that the Board failed to first contact the Peace Group, instead acting to sensationalize the matter and detract from the serious intent of the Tribute. The Selectmen’s statement, coming from an official town board, represents a disturbing threat to the constitutionally protected exercise of free speech. We object to the Selectmen’s implication that we do not “embrace civility and decency.”
The Tribute consisted of wristbands with the name, rank, age, and date of death of each of the thousands of men and women who have died serving our country in Iraq. The purpose of the tribute was to honor these men and women and it was hoped that, for those who visited and viewed the display, this tribute would “personalize the terrible price in human life and the sacrifice so many families have made.” There were 4,098 wristbands as of the date of the display.
The Selectmen’s issue was what they referred to as the “insensitive inclusion of caskets or coffins.” The wristbands were transported in 82 cardboard boxes, 50 names to a box. After erecting the display we stacked the 82 boxes near the tribute. The visual impact of these stacked boxes reminded those present of coffins, adding to the recognition of the “terrible price in human life.” Black cloths were then draped on the boxes to give greater solemnity to the visual statement. Certainly we intended no disrespect. Families of fallen soldiers stopped by, found the names of their loved ones, and thanked us for the tribute. Other people who walked around the tribute and read the names were moved by it.
The Walpole Peace and Justice Group has great respect for the soldiers and military families who live with fear and loss and the devastating impact of this war. We do hope and pray for an end to the conflict and the return of our troops. It is in their behalf that we seek to raise the awareness and sensitivity of our fellow citizens and work for an end to the Iraq war. We urge people to direct their outrage to those who used deception in leading our country to war and to tell their government representatives to bring about a speedy withdrawal. We support our troops wholeheartedly in the call both to “bring them home” and give desperately needed aid to soldiers and families who have suffered the devastating injuries of war.
Walpole Peace and Justice Group
Madeline Champagne
Lois Czachorowski
Philip Czachorowski
Sheila Harbst
Barry Oremland
Paul Peckham
The Tribute consisted of wristbands with the name, rank, age, and date of death of each of the thousands of men and women who have died serving our country in Iraq. The purpose of the tribute was to honor these men and women and it was hoped that, for those who visited and viewed the display, this tribute would “personalize the terrible price in human life and the sacrifice so many families have made.” There were 4,098 wristbands as of the date of the display.
The Selectmen’s issue was what they referred to as the “insensitive inclusion of caskets or coffins.” The wristbands were transported in 82 cardboard boxes, 50 names to a box. After erecting the display we stacked the 82 boxes near the tribute. The visual impact of these stacked boxes reminded those present of coffins, adding to the recognition of the “terrible price in human life.” Black cloths were then draped on the boxes to give greater solemnity to the visual statement. Certainly we intended no disrespect. Families of fallen soldiers stopped by, found the names of their loved ones, and thanked us for the tribute. Other people who walked around the tribute and read the names were moved by it.
The Walpole Peace and Justice Group has great respect for the soldiers and military families who live with fear and loss and the devastating impact of this war. We do hope and pray for an end to the conflict and the return of our troops. It is in their behalf that we seek to raise the awareness and sensitivity of our fellow citizens and work for an end to the Iraq war. We urge people to direct their outrage to those who used deception in leading our country to war and to tell their government representatives to bring about a speedy withdrawal. We support our troops wholeheartedly in the call both to “bring them home” and give desperately needed aid to soldiers and families who have suffered the devastating injuries of war.
Walpole Peace and Justice Group
Madeline Champagne
Lois Czachorowski
Philip Czachorowski
Sheila Harbst
Barry Oremland
Paul Peckham
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